Greek Scout Organizations in the Marmara and Western Anatolian Regions and the Megali Idea
An examination of scout organizations belonging to the Rums 4 namely, Greek4speaking Orthodox subjects of the Ottoman Empire 4 reveals extensive evidence of their connection to the Megali Idea. These organizations opened their ceremonies and activities with the Greek national anthem, carried Greek flags in parades, and maintained contact with Greek military officers. Scouts affiliated with these organizations acted as guides for the Greek army from the moment they set foot on Turkish soil with the aim of establishing a “Greater Greece.” They not only fought alongside the Greek forces but also served in various administrative and logistical roles within the Greek military offices. This article aims to uncover the relationship between the Megali Idea and the Greek scout organizations that were active in the Marmara and Western Anatolia regions 4 particularly in Istanbul and Izmir 4 during the Turkish War of Independence. In line with this objective, Greek sources were consulted, including the Greek official gazette, Greek and Rum press publications, and the scholarly works of Greek academics relevant to the subject.
Marmara ve Batı Anadolu Bölgesindeki Rum İzci Örgütleri ve Megali İdea
Rumlara , bir diğer ifadeyle Osmanlı tebaası Rumca (Yunanca) konuşan Ortodokslara ait izci örgütleri incelendiğinde Megali İdea ile bağlarını ortaya koyan pek çok kanıta ulaşılmaktadır. Etkinlik ve törenlerini Yunan Milli Marşı ile açmış, geçit tören4 lerinde Yunan bayrakları taşımış, Yunan subayları ile irtibat halinde olmuşlardır. Bunlara bağlı izciler “Büyük Yunanistan”ı kurmak hedefi ile Türk topraklarına ayak bastığı andan itibaren Yunan ordusuna rehberlik etmişler ve saflarında savaştıkları gibi Yunan ordusu bürolarında çeşitli hizmetlerde çalışmışlardır. Makalenin amacı, Türk İstiklal Harbi döneminde İstanbul ve İzmir başta olmak üzere Marmara ve Batı Anadolu bölgelerinde faaliyet göstermiş Rumlara ait izci örgütlerinin Megali İdea ile bağını ortaya koymaktır. Amacımıza yönelik olarak Yunan kaynaklarına bakılmış, Yunan resmi gazetesi, Yunanlılara ve Rumlara ait basın organları, Yunanlı akademisyenlerin konu ile alakalı çalışmaları incelenmiştir.
Scouting was introduced to Istanbul during the Second Constitutional Era; however, it did not gain significant momentum among the Turks at that time. Following the Ottoman Empire’s defeat in the Balkan Wars, the Committee of Union and Progress (İttihat ve Terakki Cemiyeti) began to actively support scouting activities, particularly through Turkish sports clubs. Scouting was increasingly viewed not only as a means of fostering good citizenship but also as a preparatory activity for the defense of the nation. During this period, youth organizations affiliated with the Committee of Union and Progress were established as auxiliary bodies to promote such goals. Although five to six Turkish scout troops were active in the capital after the Armistice of Mudros, little further development occurred. It was only after the establishment of the Republic of Türkiye that Turkish scouting experienced significant growth.
In contrast, during the Armistice period, non4Muslim communities 4 including Greeks, Armenians, and Jews 4 established and maintained active scout organizations in Istanbul. For these communities, scouting became a demonstration of communal strength and visibility. Among them, the Greek scouts 4 namely, Greek4speaking Orthodox subjects of the Ottoman Empire 4 were the most prominent. To fully understand the activities of these Greek scout groups in Istanbul, one must consider the structure and ideological foundations of the Greek Scout Organization in Greece itself. Scouting was introduced in Greece in 1910 and soon gained the strong support of then4Prime Minister Eleftherios K. Venizelos. The founders and key supporters of the Greek Scout Organization were closely affiliated with both Venizelos and the irredentist ideology of the Megali Idea.
The first charter of the Greek Scout Organization in Greece, issued in 1912, stated that the organization’s goal was to raise “Hellenic children” 4 both within and beyond the borders of the Greek Kingdom 4 as good citizens and soldiers. This mission statement, which clearly aligned with the ideology of the Megali Idea, also encompassed Greek4speaking Orthodox subjects of the Ottoman Empire. The charter allowed the central organization in Athens to establish local administrative boards to realize this objective, thereby enabling the formation of Greek scout troops in Ottoman territories. The Greek Scout Organization designated March 25 4 the anniversary of the outbreak of “the Greek War of Independence in 1821” and a date of immense symbolic importance 4 as its official holiday. In some Anatolian scout groups, oath4taking ceremonies were intentionally scheduled for this date.
The earliest Greek scouts and their leaders in Istanbul and Izmir emerged from Greek gymnastics clubs. During the Turkish War of Independence, the number of Greek scout troops in Istanbul grew to 45, with units established in nearly every neighborhood inhabited by Greeks. Among the most prominent areas were Kurtuluş and Beyoğlu. Greek scouts in Istanbul were reported to have committed serious offenses, including acts of violence and murder. Outside of Istanbul, Greek scouting units were also active in Çanakkale, Dedeağaç, and Karaağaç (three troops each), and in Edirne, Uzunköprü, Kırklareli, Erdek, Mudanya, Mürefte, İznik, Gemlik, Bandırma, Bursa, and Tekirdağ (one troop each). In Western Anatolia, Greek scouting first developed in İzmir, and during the Turkish War of Independence, the number of troops in the region increased to 63. From the moment the Greek army landed in İzmir on May 15, 1919, Greek scouts provided direct support to military operations by guiding army units, fighting alongside them, and working in military offices as interpreters, couriers, and postal workers.
The official publication of the Greek Scout Organization in Greece, İ Zoi Ton Proskopon (The Life of the Scouts), regularly featured news about Greek scout activities in the Marmara and Western Anatolian regions 4 particularly in Istanbul and Izmir 4 throughout the tenure of Eleftherios Venizelos. The fact that reports concerning Greek scouts in Istanbul and Izmir were consistently positioned directly below those concerning Athens4based scouts underscores the close connection between the Greek Scout Organization in Greece and its affiliates in Ottoman territories. This alignment further reveals the ideological and organizational ties between the Greek scouting movement in Marmara and Western Anatolia and the broader nationalist aspirations encapsulated in the Megali Idea. Numerous pieces of evidence attest to this connection. Greek scouts in these regions received their uniforms from Greek embassies and consulates, began their ceremonies and public events with the Greek National Anthem, and carried the Greek flag in official parades. Their oath included a commitment to serve “God and the homeland” 4 where “homeland” was understood not merely as the existing Greek state, but as the envisioned “Greater Greece.”
Following the Turkish victory at the Battle of Sakarya, expectations placed on Greek scouts intensified. As rumors of the Greek army’s impending retreat from Anatolia began to spread, the Greek population in Western Anatolia established a resistance4oriented organization called the Hellenic Anatolian Defense Organization (Elliniki Mikrasi4 atiki Amina, EMA), with which the Greek scouts actively cooperated. In the final days of the Greek military presence in Anatolia, Greek scouts also took part in political mobilization efforts, notably playing a visible role in the autonomy rally for Western Anatolia led by the Greek High Commissioner Aristeidis Stergiadis in Izmir.
In light of these developments, it is not plausible to interpret Greek scouting in Marmara and Western Anatolia as a series of innocent activities involving children singing songs, engaging in physical exercise, and exploring nature. Rather, the movement functioned as a vehicle for nationalist mobilization, closely tied to political and military objectives aligned with the Megali Idea.
